Close confidants of President Uhuru Kenyatta stopped Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria from quitting yesterday before he could deliver a resignation letter to National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi.
Kuria, according to multiple sources close to him, had decided to resign following the backlash against his remarks that President Kenyatta was taking development to opposition areas, excluding Central.
Yesterday the Star learnt that former Jubilee vice chairman David Murathe and Deputy Chief of Staff Njee Muturi intervened.
Kuria was with Murathe on Tuesday night until 3am to discuss resignation and Murathe reportedly talked him out of it. The MP had made the comments on New Year’s Eve and they went viral.
The sources said that Kuria’s resignation would embarrass the President who had himself been Gatundu South MP and the President cannot appear to be forcing out an MP from his backyard.
On Wednesday, talk of resignation was rife as leaders from Mt Kenya region called press conferences to denounce Kuria and reaffirm their support for President Kenyatta.
Yesterday morning Kuria informed Muturi that he was going to deliver a letter to his office. He did not specify the contents and instead read a statement making no mention of resignation.
He then delivered the press statement to the Speaker.
Asked whether he was to deliver a resignation letter, Kuria neither confirmed nor denied it.
“How do you know the letter I was going to deliver was to resign? It could have been a bill or anything,” said Kuria.
Muturi confirmed that he had received a press statement from Kuria.
“I have not received any letter. What I have is a press statement that Kuria read and I do not know what I’m supposed to do with it,” Muturi said.
While denying that he was quitting yesterday, Kuria said that his life was in danger from attacks by people with “personal and political scores” to settle.
In a press briefing at Parliament Buildings, the MP said that he has reported his fears to the DCI.
Kuria declared his support for the Building Bridges Initiative and apologised to the President for his comments about need for more development in Central.
“Following my speech at Thika Stadium on New Year’s Eve, there has been heated debate in the country and rising political temperatures, which are coming at a very early phase of the New Year. On January 4, I addressed a press conference in Gatundu South and clarified that my speech was directed at the Kiambu leadership and not President Uhuru,” the MP said.
“I have nothing but the utmost respect for President Uhuru with whom I have worked with for a long time towards making Kenya a great nation. In that press conference, I offered my unqualified apology to the President for any hurt and misconception that my words could have created. I hereby reiterate that apology to the President and my fellow Kenyans,” Kuria added.
He said that despite his apology, he is being subjected to personalised attacks from “people with personal and political scores to settle with me”.
An ominous and wrong conception had been created that he was opposed to the President and the Building Bridges Initiative, Kuria said.